The subject matter disclosed herein relates to refrigerator appliances, and more particularly to assembly of such refrigerator appliances.
Assembly of an appliance such as a refrigerator typically includes the assembly of a plastic liner inside a metal case. The plastic-lined metal case serves as the storage cavity in which perishable items are placed for cooling during usage. The storage cavity can serve as a fresh food storage area or a freezer storage area, depending on the particular refrigerator design.
It is desirable for the plastic liner and the metal case to be held in proper position with respect to one another. For example, it is desirable to achieve a narrow, uniform gap (front to back and left to right) between the plastic liner and the metal case, when the plastic liner is inserted into the metal case.
Existing refrigerator assembly techniques use one or more foam fixtures to attempt to properly position the plastic liner with respect to the metal case. However, it is known that the foam fixtures do not provide a consistent interface between the plastic liner and the metal case. At a minimum, this inconsistency may negatively impact the perceived assembly quality as well as the thermal performance and the energy efficiency of the appliance.